About DPS

About Durham Public Schools

Welcome to Durham Public Schools!

Our school district is one of the top 10 largest in the state, serving more than 32,000 students in both the city and county of Durham. Durham is on an upward trend, recognized all over as one of the hot spots in the south -- from food to history to music to education -- more and more people are learning what those of us here already know: Durham is the place to be!

Durham's public schools are nearly as diverse as our 300,000+ residents. The school system offers a wealth of options for students and families; we have something for every kind of learner.

Durham Public Schools offers traditional schools, magnet programs, year round calendar schools and small specialty high schools. We are one of the top 30 districts in the nation for employing National Board Certified Teachers, and three of our high schools are on the US News & World Report's Best High Schools list for 2018 (City Of Medicine Academy, Clement Early College High School, and Durham School of the Arts).

Our school nutrition program leads the state in providing healthy, "farm to school" meal choices, and every single one of our students can eat breakfast at school for free.

We have robust AIG (academically and intellectually gifted) specialties, skilled exceptional children programs and even a partnership with Duke Children's Hospitalto allow chronically ill and hospitalized children from across the nation to remain in school.

Durham Public Schools accepts all children with compassion and a commitment to meet each child wherever he or she is along the learning spectrum, and grow together from there.

Quick Facts

Student Racial Composition 2018-19

African-American: 43.8%

Hispanic/Latino: 31.1%

White: 19.1%

Multiracial: 3.5%

Asian: 2.2%

American Indian: 0.2%

Hawaiian/Pacific Islander: 0.1%

Enrollment 2018-19

Pre-kindergarten: 570

K-5: 15,061

6-8: 6,867

9-12: 10,518

Total excluding pre-K: 32,446

Schools

53 Total:

30 elementary

9 middle

2 secondary (grades 6-12)

10 high

1 alternative

1 hospital

Free and Reduced Lunch

Total F&R: 62.29%

*Includes 13 schools with Community Eligibility Provision where no applications are taken (100% free).